Paths Less Traveled
by Daethalion
Summary: Naruto comes to grips with Sasuke's departure and chooses to begin a new life without Konoha. Inspired by "Never Cut Twice", written by shadowmaster62. Rated M for future content.
1. Prologue

**I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Inspired by "Never Cut Twice", written by **shadowmaster62.

**Naruto: Paths Less Traveled**

**Prologue**

Sasuke was gone.

The thought passed through Naruto's mind, over and over, had done so ever since his recently failed mission to prevent the heir of the Uchiha clan from defecting to Orochimaru's banner. Never had any three words had such world-changing significance for the young genin of Konoha. They robbed him of sleep. They disrupted his training regimen. They called his hopes and dreams into question.

For as long as he could remember, Naruto had boasted of his wish to one day assume the position of Hokage. His desires were manifold, yet all would be fulfilled when he donned the robes which belonged to the single most important shinobi who belonged to the country of Fire. He would be acknowledged, respected, and he would finally have the strength to protect his precious people.

Only now he realized it would never happen.

Sasuke was gone.

As he trudged through the village, still under repair from Orochimaru's latest treachery, Naruto was bombarded with memories. The first day of training with Kakashi, where his teammates and he struggled to prove their worth to their new teacher. His first encounter with a mortal enemy on the way to Water Country. The tree climbing exercises, where he competed with Sasuke to see who would come out on top. The Chuunin survival test. The battle with Shukaku. The fight on the hospital roof. The Valley of The End.

What did all of his trials stand for, if he was unable to protect even one person? Nobody would acknowledge him now. Even as he passed other villagers, he could feel their glances. These days the people of Konoha treated him with a grudging tolerance, but their suspicions, their disgust and hatred for what he embodied, were always just under the surface. Even his friends were hesitant to rely on him.

They had been right to reserve such trust.

Sasuke was gone.

Following in the wake of his flashbacks came other images. His days at the academy. Lectures from Kakashi. The first Chuunin exam. He could hear the voices, even now, berating him for his lack of sense. He was too reckless, they said. When would he ever learn to see 'underneath the underneath', they asked. Did he really think his brazen nature and flashy techniques would always pull through, they wondered. Almost as long as they had despised him for his pranks and lackluster performance, they grumbled about his thoughtless nature.

He was thinking plenty now.

Sasuke was gone.

oooooo

Eventually Naruto found himself on top of the Hokage monument, looking out over the village as he had done so many times before. As he watched the crowds below, he sat, and pondered his life's choices. Why did he want to be Hokage? What was the point? These were questions he had never truly examined before. He had always claimed he wanted to protect people. He had trained long and hard to become stronger, but he was not the only one responsible for his current level. The Kyuubi had intervened, always when situations got desperate. Could he really claim success if he didn't gain power by himself? Was such power worthy of his way of the ninja?

And what had that power brought him? More pain. Those who had witnessed the Kyuubi's manifestations were terrified of what they signified. The common people hated him for what he might become. Shady organizations were hunting him, bent on claiming his power for their own ends. Even his friends approached him with caution. Was that how he wanted to live? Was that the sort of acknowledgement he wanted?

Naruto removed his forehead protector and studied his face in its reflection. The eyes were red again. His whiskers had grown larger, too. Ever since his last fight with Sasuke, the Kyuubi's characteristics were becoming easier to manifest every day. Sometimes they did so without him even being aware of it, such as now. He could call on the demon's power at any time. He supposed that was an improvement, of a sort. But nobody would trust a shinobi who used such power without reservation.

Unbidden, thoughts of Naruto's first real mission came back to him. He saw Zabuza on the bridge, moments after his subordinate Haku had sacrificed his own life so that his master might survive. He recalled Zabuza's last act of defiance, mowing through a horde of gangsters with nothing but a kunai stuck in his mouth after his arms had been rendered useless. He had dropped twenty men in that charge, including Gatou. It had been an affirmation of his way of the ninja. There had been tears in his eyes when he begged Kakashi to lay him next to Haku, not because of regret, but because he had lost something precious to him. Because he had been labeled a demon for the way he lived. He had died a hero.

Why had Zabuza been recognized only after he was gone? Naruto had been struck by the irony, months later, because he had realized he was also a person that lived without regret. Would he also have to die before he would be recognized? If that was the case, what worth did a life of service really possess?

Naruto recalled Zabuza's sword as well. The first time he'd seen it, it had been spinning through the air like a huge shuriken. Zabuza had wielded it like it weighed nothing, despite it being taller than he was. He even performed advanced ninjutsu with it. It was like his second companion, in a way. Naruto's instructors at the academy had taught him that large weapons were considered a crutch for most shinobi. Become too attached to one weapon, they said, and you risked your life twice over whenever you entered a situation where you might lose it. But Zabuza had done just that, without hesitation. He had even been disarmed at the end, and that hadn't stopped him either.

Long ago Naruto had decided he didn't care what anyone else thought of him. Maybe Zabuza hadn't, either. Perhaps he had taken that giant sword as a message to other shinobi. Naruto imagined Zabuza telling off his peers before he left his own village. _Go ahead and follow the path that has been laid out for you by others. Be good little shinobi and do what you're told. For myself I take the road only I have chosen, and when we have all reached our end, we shall see who has lived, and who has merely survived._

In that moment, Naruto decided he wanted to live.

oooooo

He would have to leave the village. As much as it galled him to think about his recent failure, Sasuke's defection had nevertheless given Naruto a serious wake-up call. If he could not live up to his old dreams, he would just have to create new dreams. And right now none of his new dreams were going to be fulfilled if he stayed in Konoha for the rest of his life. His new path demanded freedom.

Naruto wasted no time getting back to his apartment, although it was dark by the time he moved from his perch on the monument. He was already tallying a list of the equipment he would need to take with him so that he wouldn't be completely helpless. Unfortunately, a rather large portion of his savings was stored away in the bank. Naruto was less than pleased with the thought of leaving behind a resource as all-important as cold cash, but it couldn't be helped. He could not give anyone a reason to suspect what he was up to. The same was true of much of the trappings in his home. Packing away anything that wasn't meant to go anywhere during missions would also be a big tip to someone observant. Kakashi was _very _observant.

As he turned the last corner before reaching his door, Naruto was still running the list through his head when he stopped short. Someone was there, clearly waiting. As they turned to face him, he caught a flash of pink hair in the moonlight, and realized that he had just met a serious obstacle.

"Sakura...?"

Sakura stared at him numbly for a few moments. If she noticed the absence of the 'chan' he usually appended to her name, she didn't give him any sign. Now that he looked more closely, Naruto could see that her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was lined with dry tracks. She'd been crying not long ago. Hardly surprising. "Naruto," she said quietly.

"Sakura," he said again. "Are you alright?"

Sakura shook her head slightly, then put on a false smile. "I'm fine, Naruto. I just wanted to see how you've been holding up since..." Her voice drifted off as fresh memories were dredged up once again. "Since your last mission," she finished.

Naruto swallowed heavily. If someone had asked him what could have changed his mind about leaving, Sakura would have been his immediate response. At least, until that morning at the gate. Had it really been a week already?

"I'm... alright. Just had a lot on my mind lately." That was close enough to the truth without revealing anything dangerous, at least, Naruto thought.

Sakura giggled slightly, though it sounded strained. "You know you shouldn't think too much, Naruto. You'll get a headache."

Naruto pouted. "Na na, I'm not as dumb as all that. Jeez, you're getting almost as bad as Sa-" He clamped up before he could finish saying _that _name, but the damage had already been done. Sakura's gaze shifted to the side, fresh tears welling up even as he tried to recover. "Eh, never mind, " he said, attempting to divert her thoughts. "Hey, how about some ramen? It's my treat, so you can't refuse!" He grinned widely for her benefit, even giving her the 'Nice Guy' pose.

Sakura looked back at him and smiled bravely. "Thanks, Naruto, but I've already eaten and I'm not hungry. You go ahead, I was just about to head home."

Naruto sighed quietly, but chose not to press. "Alright, then. Next time we'll definitely go, then!" _Next time_, he thought to himself. _Right. _"Er, actually, Sakura. Are you sure there wasn't something you needed?" Inwardly he cursed himself for several kinds of an idiot. What did he think he was doing, sticking his foot in his mouth like that? The last thing he needed was to get tangled up with Sakura right now!

Fortunately Sakura seemed be having similar thoughts, as she shook her head again. "No, Naruto, I'll be alright. Oh, but I did have something to tell you. I almost forgot," she added with slight embarrassment. "Kakashi-sensei asked me to find you. I think he has some more questions about... that mission." She looked down at her feet, not trusting herself to meet Naruto's gaze any longer.

Naruto nodded. "Okay, then. I guess I better get moving." He turned to head back down to the street before stopping for one last look. "Thanks, Sakura." Then he was gone.

oooooo

_Damn damn damn damn DAMN IT! _ Naruto continued the litany in his head as he ran through the village, looking for his mentor. He had little doubt that Kakashi would notice something off if they spoke for too long. His entire plan depended on nobody having a reason to suspect what he was about to do. Even worse, Kakashi had apparently come up with more questions about that fateful day at the Valley of The End. Maybe he had anticipated Naruto's decision to leave? Would he have already alerted the ANBU and Tsunade? Naruto couldn't guess, and he was starting to feel anxious. If he had to search for his teacher much longer, his own worrying would drive him mad.

Just as Naruto turned another corner to try the next street, a figure dropped down ten meters in front of him, blocking his way. Coming to a halt, Naruto guessed that Kakashi had found him, instead. Par for the course, really. He should have figured.

"Yo, Naruto." Kakashi greeted him with his usual bored-sounding voice, but Naruto knew better than to underestimate him for it. "So you ran into Sakura, after all," he continued. "I'm a bit surprised, actually. You usually go straight to Ichiraku's if it's this late." Kakashi's single visible eye watched him closely as he spoke. Was he already looking for signs of betrayal?

Naruto decided to go with the obvious for as long as possible. "I was actually going that way after I dropped off my pack, so I guess you were both right. Did you want to join me? My treat, sensei!" Maybe he had laid that last part on a bit thick, but he had done it often enough to make it more or less convincing. Besides, ramen was starting to sound pretty good right now.

Kakashi looked at him for another second and shrugged. "Alright, Naruto. Lead the way."

Naruto turned around and started walking back the way he had traveled, as Kakashi fell into step beside him. They continued in silence all the way to the small ramen stand, where its warm glow bathed the otherwise dark street with light. Naruto's head was whirling as they approached. Could he trust himself not to let something slip over dinner? He could feel Kakashi's attention on him even now, though neither of them spoke and he didn't dare look up to meet that penetrating gaze. Just how much would his teacher figure out? Thankfully, his musings were cut off as they stepped through the short curtains and were greeted by Ichiraku, who wasted no time asking for their orders. Very soon they were seated at the bar, with two steaming bowls in front of them.

Naruto concentrated on his first batch of noodles, wanting to prolong the silence a little longer. Even if it was maddening, anything was better than trying to dodge his teacher's inquiries. Kakashi continued to watch him as he ate, his own bowl having been finished within minutes.

"Naruto." Evidently, he had decided it was time to get to business. Naruto looked over to find that eye staring at him again, and Kakashi continued. "Tell me about Sasuke."

Naruto stiffened on his seat. Was Kakashi already implying that he knew what was happening? Would he accuse Naruto of contemplating treason? Whatever it was, he couldn't assume anything. Not while there was still a chance to get out of this. _Buy time._ "Ano, sensei, what did you want to know?"

Kakashi continued to hold his gaze. "Sasuke didn't kill you before making his final escape. This is unusual, even if the two of you were teammates. Often when a ninja abandons his village, he tries to remove any obstacles that would stand in his way, to avoid complications." Naruto could only hope his face didn't betray him as Kakashi continued, "You and Sasuke had words, didn't you?"

It wasn't really a question. Naruto's rivalry with Sasuke was well known to everybody in the village. It was just one more reason for people to hate him. Not trusting himself to speak, Naruto looked down at his bowl and nodded.

Kakashi sighed softly. "Naruto... I know you probably blame yourself for what happened. However, Sasuke's leaving was not entirely unexpected. I spoke with him the day he ran away." Naruto sat up as he heard Kakashi's last statement. This wasn't something he'd been aware of. "I tried to convince him to give up his quest for revenge. That it would destroy him just as it destroyed his enemies. I... underestimated his determination." Kakashi sighed again, then fixed Naruto with his gaze once more. "Naruto. What things passed between you and Sasuke?"

This was relatively safe territory for Naruto. He wouldn't even need to lie. _Funny_, he thought to himself. _I sound like I'm already a fugitive._ "Sasuke told me... he told me I was his closest friend. He said that made me the person he had to kill, so he could get stronger."

Kakashi's eye closed as he sighed yet again. He suddenly looked very old. "The Mangekyou Sharingan... I should have known."

Naruto blinked, too confused now to worry about the direction of the conversation. "Ano, what's a Mangekyou Sharingan, sensei?"

Kakashi suddenly seemed to remember their surroundings. He glanced over at Ichiraku, who was cleaning pots just across the counter. Standing up, he left a few coins next to his bowl, enough to cover them both. "Let's go, Naruto."

Naruto also looked at Ichiraku and stood up as well. Evidently this wasn't a topic his teacher wanted to be made public. Together they left, this time with Kakashi leading to way. They eventually arrived at a park bench on the road to the main gates. Neither of them knew it, but it was the exact spot where Sakura had begged Sasuke not to leave her behind.

Apparently satisfied that they were out of anyone's earshot, Kakashi finally spoke. "The Mangekyou Sharingan was the Uchiha clan's most closely guarded secret. I've only heard rumors, but from what I've seen, there can be little doubt that some of them are true. It is a very dangerous ability, one with powers of perception so great that it rivals the Byakugan. It can be used to create some very powerful genjutsu effects, induce hypnosis, and even grant a limited form of mind control."

"All of these effects can be accomplished with the ordinary Sharingan, but the Mangekyou aspect takes them to an entirely different level. The psychic attack potential of a fully manifested Mangekyou is... terrifying."

Kakashi's voice was normal, but Naruto suddenly felt a strong chill run down his spine. He composed himself as Kakashi went on, "Apparently Itachi, the one who destroyed the clan, was only the second person ever to achieve that capability. I don't know all of the details, but according to my sources, there are very specific conditions that must be met before one gains the use of the Mangekyou aspect. From what Sasuke said to you, my guess is that it requires an extremely tragic event."

Kakashi looked down at Naruto, who had sat on the bench at some point. "He might have gained that aspect himself had he decided to kill you."

Naruto blinked at Kakashi, not knowing how to respond to that. After a minute, a question occurred to him. "But sensei, if he needed this Mangekyou to get even with his brother, why didn't he..." Naruto's voice trailed off.

"Ah," Kakashi said. "That's just what I've been wondering as well. Why didn't he kill you? You were unconscious when I found you, Naruto, and Sasuke was already out of range of my dogs. You were definitely within his power. For him to have suddenly changed his mind... it doesn't add up."

Naruto sat in silence, brooding over these latest revelations. Why _would_ Sasuke suddenly give up when he finally had access to the power he had always wanted? Was Naruto not his friend after all? Riding in the wake of these thoughts came another. _Did he also change his way of the ninja?_

Naruto decided to take a risk. He needed some confirmation of his feelings, even if his interest gave him away. "Ne, sensei."

Kakashi looked down at him. "Eh, Naruto?"

Naruto almost swallowed, but knew Kakashi would be suspicious if he did. "Do you remember on our first mission, when we ran into Zabuza?"

Kakashi blinked at the sudden change of topic, but if he wondered what it meant, he didn't say so. "Yes, I remember."

Gathering his courage, Naruto pushed forward. "Did you know him very well?"

Kakashi looked up at the moon for a long moment before responding. "I'd had encounters with him before that day. But no, we were never familiar with each other. Mostly we knew each other by reputation."

Naruto stared at the ground, sighing softly. _I guess I'm not going to learn anything unless I go to Water Country and find out myself._

Kakashi let him sit in silence for a few minutes before speaking again. "Naruto... I know it's hard to lose a friend, even if you don't know they're your friend until they're gone. You mustn't blame yourself for what happened. Sasuke doesn't know yet how painful revenge can be. He has shaped his entire life for one purpose, and in his own way, he'll never be at peace until he can see it through. You of all people should understand that."

Naruto felt a pressure on his head, and looked up to see Kakashi ruffling his hair. "Don't worry, Naruto. We'll get Sasuke back. It won't be much longer before Tsunade begins sending out the hunter teams."

Naruto nodded, and tried putting on a smile for his teacher. "I'd better work hard then, ne sensei? Granny Tsunade will definitely need my help to find Sasuke!" Inside, he felt like he was dying. Would he really be able to go through with his new path?

Luckily, Kakashi didn't question him any further. "Get some sleep, Naruto. Tomorrow's going to be a long day for everyone."

oooooo

On his way home, Naruto found he could no longer contain the tears in his eyes.

_Yeah. Tomorrow is going to be a long day._

_

* * *

_

_So this is the first story I've written in a long time, and it's going to take a while to get back into swing. As mentioned above, the first few parts of this tale are heavily based on the premise that was set down by the fic called "Never Cut Twice", and I invite you to read it if you haven't taken the opportunity to do so already. This will actually be more of a divergence from that story, rather than a rewrite. I'm also aiming to make it a lot darker and more mature. As the plot develops, this story will have a life all its own. Reviews and questions always welcome.  
_


	2. Chapter 1

**I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Inspired by "Never Cut Twice", written by **shadowmaster62.

**Naruto: Paths Less Traveled**

**Chapter 1**

Morning broke over Konoha, wrapped in a cloak of grey clouds. As the sky lightened imperceptibly with each passing minute, the villagers and resident shinobi prepared to greet their respective business in the new day. Shops were opening, morning news was being delivered, breakfasts were cooking, and the first class of the day for the students of Konoha Ninja Academy was preparing to start. However, in all of the gathering bustle, one room in an out of the way apartment building was unmoved, and remained silent, its sole habitant having departed before first light for the last time.

oooooo

The training grounds of Konoha were vast, encompassing the majority of open space within the village's territory, and boasting a wide selection of available terrains for the use of active duty shinobi. They were all very scenic, but more importantly, each and every one of them offered numerous hiding places. Naruto was currently passing through one of the forest zones adjacent to the great village wall, doing his best to avoid notice while maintaining a decent rate of travel. For once, he was taking full advantage of his environment, attempting to blend into his surroundings as often as possible - he had even foregone his usual loud orange jumpsuit in favor of more conservative clothing. Very early in planning his departure, Naruto had determined that sneaking through the main gate was unacceptable - with at least two chuunin monitoring all of the village's incoming and outgoing traffic at all times during the day, and no cover anywhere within fifty yards of the gateway itself, there was simply no way to pass through without being marked. Being noticed exiting the village proper wasn't a problem, but being noticed never coming back was. The only choice Naruto had was to hop the wall directly from one of the less conspicuous areas of the village.

However, it could not truly be said that any road out of the village was ideal. Naruto knew that with his decision he was merely trading one set of headaches for another. Numerous patrol groups ran circuits throughout the greater forest of Konoha beyond the village wall. Naruto knew some of the routes, but that information did little to improve his situation - the pathways crisscrossed all over the forest, and the patrol schedules were staggered in such a way that any section of territory could be in the direct view of at least three sets of eyes at any given moment. Although the recent attack by the united forces of Oto and Suna had weakened Konoha's reserve of active duty shinobi, the outer sentry lines had actually been reinforced to continue presenting a strong image to the rest of the community of hidden villages. Naruto's chances of passing through such a network without being spotted were slim, but not negligible. Although he lacked information on the speed and location of any of the patrol groups, he did have one asset.

The first time Naruto had manifested the characteristics of the Kyuubi, that day on the bridge when his team had defeated Zabuza and his subordinate Haku, he had experienced a significant increase in his sensitivity to sight, sound, and smell, to the point where his tracking abilities could rival or even surpass those of a bloodhound. With such a tool at his disposal, the task of locating and avoiding the various teams scattered throughout the forest would be reduced from nearly impossible to merely difficult. Fortunately, the manifestation did not require any concentration, and could be maintained almost indefinitely without effort, allowing him to concentrate fully on the task at hand.

Naruto came to a stop several meters from the high wall of the village and directed his focus inward, just long enough to summon the Kyuubi's red chakra until it suffused his pathways. Instantly his senses exploded with the ambience of the forest. He could focus his sight on the most minute detail, from the ants wandering through the bark of the trees to the seams in the wall before him, to the birds of prey that circled high above. He could smell the brown earth, the dew that still clung to the grass, the various animals that scurried about their own business. He could hear the rustle of every leaf, the skittering of every insect, the padding of every clawed foot, the flapping of every wing. And he could hear the sounds of sandaled feet landing on tree branches.

Naruto tensed and leapt nearly straight up, angling himself to land feet first on the wall's surface about two thirds of the way to the top. As he made contact, he immediately propelled himself up and over the side, jumping out into the forest canopy before him. Snagging the first large branch that passed him as he fell through, he swung himself up and into a crouch on a high bough, then paused to assess his surroundings once more. From his new perch, he could now determine the whereabouts of any shinobi moving near enough to alert his senses, or anywhere within three hundred meters. Focusing in on the first group that entered his increased range of perception, and doing his best to avoid making any sounds of his own, Naruto began the tedious process of weaving his way through the net.

oooooo

At this point, anyone who was acquainted with Naruto could have been forgiven some confusion from witnessing his current methodology. "Dead last" was best known for flashy displays and grandiose claims, not calm analysis, patience, and discretion. None of these sudden changes in his behavior made any sense - unless one applied the proper context.

While in school, Naruto had tried his best to succeed at becoming a shinobi, but at the time he had believed that all one needed to be a shinobi was fighting ability and powerful techniques, and that his aptitude with the more cerebral aspects of the job would develop as a natural consequence of being awesome. Which is not to say that Naruto was actually an idiot - he simply felt that thinking things through was unnecessary.

Fortunately, at some point during his first real mission, Naruto had come face to face with death at the hands of an enemy that was every bit as cunning as he was powerful. He'd watched Kakashi become ensnared by Zabuza with relatively little effort, through sheer chicanery no less (and the idea that anyone could outwit _Kakashi_ was plain terrifying). At that moment Naruto knew that if he was ever going to survive, much less excel in his career as a shinobi, he would have to play by the same rules as everyone else, and that meant he would need to study his ass off in order to make up for time wasted in other pursuits. Therefore, as soon as Team Seven returned to Konoha from Nami, Naruto had reluctantly set to the task of devoting all of his free time to hitting books and scrolls, playing brain games, and surreptitiously watching his sensei and the other jounin in the village. The results of his new mental training were not immediately noticeable - his performance during the chuunin exams was proof of that. Yet slowly and surely, Naruto had learned the value of the old adage 'looking underneath the underneath' and begun to apply it in his own life.

None of his recent gains were as apparent as his handicaps (and Naruto eventually recognized that his previous attitude had born some rather _large _handicaps). For one thing, his critical thinking skills were still severely underdeveloped and could do nothing but improve. He was absolutely lousy at dealing with abstract concepts, and he still more or less hated reading. However, he was not without his own rather unique advantages.

Kakashi had hailed Naruto as the number one shinobi at surprising people, but hadn't known at the time just how right he was. Naruto was able to draw upon years of experience as a first class prankster, he had a power of insight in battle that hinted at real tactical genius, and his unquenchable drive to be the best was second to none (except Rock Lee, but that boy doesn't have anything else going for him). He also possessed the unquantifiable factor of the Kyuubi imprisoned inside him. He was, to put it simply, devious and resourceful as hell. All of this meant that when Naruto had developed sufficiently to approach his job seriously and with the will to apply himself mentally as well as physically, he took immediate advantage of his newfound focus - by revealing it to no one.

The choice made perfect sense, really. As a shinobi, the last thing a person wanted to display was their true character. To do so was to risk exposing one's weaknesses to potential enemies, and for a shinobi, _everyone _was a potential enemy. Hiding one's nature also provided a significant advantage on the battlefield - it made predicting one's actions extremely difficult. Countering this tactic was one of the original reasons shinobi were taught to look 'underneath the underneath', although few learned the true lesson before they were senior chuunin. The slower ones never learned it at all.

Thus far, Naruto had successfully concealed his new insights behind the same face he'd worn during his academy days, that of the class clown. This was the real reason he had become so good at surprising people - he watched and waited while continuing to act brazen and reckless, and then he kicked ass. He even managed to do it in such a way that made everyone assume dumb luck was on his side, with the likely exception of the Hokage.

As of this moment, though, the usefulness of his pose had come to an end. Leaving his village behind meant he would no longer have any allies for which to perform relentless and deflecting shenanigans. Oh, he could maintain the act as a means of misleading other enemies he was sure to face, but the beauty of those future enemies being complete strangers was that he could choose any face he wanted. In some ways, Naruto was relieved. He had gotten rather tired of being treated like an idiot, even while actively encouraging it. What was more, not having to act also meant he could devote his full energy to discovering his new path in life.

As he was reflecting on this, Naruto was about eight kilometers out from the village walls. It was now early afternoon, and the sounds of the shinobi patrols had not reached his ears for at least twenty minutes. Satisfied that he was out of danger, he dropped down to the lower boughs which allowed for greater freedom of motion, and set off at full speed for Water Country. As he traveled, he reached up and untied his forehead protector, stuffing it into one of the side pockets of his pack.

Naruto was no longer a shinobi of Konoha.

oooooo

Gaara sat by the window in his quarters, staring moodily across the village of Suna. He had been doing that a lot lately, much to the dismay of his siblings. Not to say that they were particularly worried _for _him - anyone who had taken their first life at around the age of four was generally considered to be a person who could take care of himself. No, the primary concern for Temari and Kankuro was whether their younger brother was about to unleash another bloody rampage, such as he was wont to do whenever something displeased him. Having lived in his presence for many years, they were well aware that the demon which rested inside him was easily roused whenever its vessel became disturbed. Usually, Gaara's insomnia and the absolute defense his sand provided were sufficient measures to prevent Shukaku from receiving enough stimulus to fully awaken. Usually.

Gaara's recent depression was more mundane than his siblings might suspect. The simple fact was that he missed Konoha, a village that had accepted he and his siblings as allies during their last visit. Although Konoha and Suna had been nominal allies for many years, such relationships were typically maintained at arm's length, and contact was kept to a minimum. However, Orochimaru's recent subversion of Suna's forces and the attack that followed had been taken as a wake-up call by the newly established Fifth Hokage, and she had decided the time was ripe for improving relations between their respective villages.

So Konoha had requested assistance from Suna's shinobi forces at the earliest opportunity, selecting Team Baki to demonstrate that Konoha was willing to forgive past transgressions in the name of friendship. What was more, after they had completed their mission, the Hokage had personally granted Gaara and his siblings freedom to move about Konoha however they wished, as long as they stayed out of sensitive areas and stayed out of trouble. Temari and Kankuro had been indifferent to the gesture and mostly kept to their quarters, playing with their makeup more likely than not. Different tastes, and all that. Gaara, on the other hand, had seized the chance to experience Konoha for the first time.

Oh, he had seen it all before during the chuunin exams, but at that time the three of them had been scouting for tactical information. Nothing disrupted atmosphere like a recon/infiltration. Even then, Gaara had been fascinated by what was obviously a predominantly civilian community. Suna was a militant village, and actually was better described as a fortress. Its layout had been designed for utility and defensive response - aesthetics were a secondary consideration. The entire settlement was surrounded by high walls, carved directly out of the mountain on whose knees it had been raised, with only a single narrow corridor which served as the village's main gate. The only way Suna could truly be breached was by air, but everyone knew that was impossible.

Of course, Konoha had defenses as well - the differences lay in how they were presented. In Konoha, one could easily forget that they lived within a significant military machine. For this reason, Gaara had taken his stay within the village as an opportunity to experience what life was like for normal people. He visited the marketplace every day. He went to the park. He had even visited the Ninja Academy (although the instructors had been forced to insist that he keep his distance from the students). Everywhere he went, he watched people moving about their daily lives, until he finally realized what he'd missed for so many years.

Gaara wanted to feel alive.

Partly this was due to the severe restrictions presented by having such a violent creature as Shukaku living inside him. Partly it was the contrast with his home, which appeared almost totally devoid of life or color, or even noise. Mostly, it was because of Gaara's recent meeting with a certain loud-mouthed shinobi by the name of Naruto.

Naruto was a jinchuuriki like Gaara, and, like Gaara, he had been ostracized and avoided for most of his life. Unlike Gaara, instead of withdrawing into himself from pain and loneliness, Naruto had reached out to those near him, forcing them to acknowledge him through sheer determination. According to the Sannin Jiraiya, who had spoken briefly with Gaara while examining his seal at the Hokage's request, Naruto possessed a quality which allowed him to make friends with anyone he met. Gaara had experienced this quality firsthand, while in the throes of demonic rage during the attack on Konoha. Naruto literally had beaten him over the head and forced him to recognize that there were people who cared for him as a person, that he was not merely a weapon, but a human being. It was the first time Gaara had ever considered his life as a thing of value in itself. The revelation had been shocking, and alien feelings had risen in its wake. But as time passed, Gaara began to perceive the truth in Naruto's words, and sought to learn more from the people of Konoha. He had even begun acting more friendly with his siblings, inasmuch as he was able. Why, he didn't threaten their lives more than twice a day anymore.

Now that he was back in Suna, Gaara was on the verge of a monumental decision. Having witnessed the differences between his life and the lives of more normal people, he realized that he wanted what Naruto had. Gaara wanted to be acknowledged as more than a mere weapon. And maybe, just maybe, the time would come when he could use his powers to protect the people that were slowly becoming important to him.

At that moment, the sound of flapping wings jolted Gaara from his thoughts, causing him to look up as a messenger hawk landed on his windowsill. Confused, but without hesitation, he removed the small scroll affixed to the bird's leg. His name was clearly printed on the outer wrapping, but otherwise the scroll bore no markings other than a small spiraling design surrounded by eight scrawling lines. Then Gaara remembered where he had seen that pattern before. Hastily, he removed the message's bindings and began to read.

Many hours would pass before he moved from that spot again.

oooooo

"Wow... this place really took off." Naruto stared at the sight before him with awe. After two days on the road, he had finally arrived at the bridge that connected the city of Nami with the mainland. The immense wooden construct which happened to share his namesake had been finished shortly after Naruto and the rest of Team Seven had completed their mission to protect its primary architect, Tazuna, from assassination. Of course, it hadn't hurt that their onetime enemy, Zabuza, had killed the gang boss whose wish to suppress the bridge's development had necessitated the mission to begin with. Apparently Tazuna hadn't been exaggerating about the impact his great dream would have - the formerly impoverished and destitute city had transformed into a bustling center of commerce. The continuous stream of travelers, carts, and shipping wagons passing over the bridge provided silent testimony to Nami's newfound prosperity. Naruto could not have been more satisfied to see his friend's beliefs so thoroughly vindicated.

Unfortunately, as much as he would have liked to visit Tazuna and his family, there was just too much risk. Konoha's hunter teams were going to be sent out eventually, when Tsunade discovered that he was still alive. If his name was floating around a place such as Nami had obviously become, it could reach halfway across the continent by the end of the month. Gaara had almost certainly found his message and performed the services Naruto had requested by now - he would never fail to act on behalf of the first person who had called him a friend.

If all had gone according to plan, he was now officially dead in the eyes of the village, but if his name surfaced just a few days later (from another city, no less), the little soap bubble of a deception he had constructed was going to pop much sooner than he'd like. Naruto had a plan to prevent that from happening for as long as possible, but it involved a rather large amount of risk - not to mention sinking quite a bit of the earnings he'd managed to scrape up before he'd left. The first order of business was to find someplace relatively cheap that could put him up for a week or two, or, failing that, a nice camping spot in the woods. Hopefully Nami's new status as a major trade center wouldn't have caused all of the inns' prices to skyrocket.

By the time these thoughts were crossing his mind, Naruto had completed the walk across the great bridge and entered the city proper. There were market stalls in almost every lane he could see before him, hawking anything from the catch of the day to rare spices to heirloom jewelry. _Well, at least I should have plenty of material to work with_, Naruto thought to himself, eyeing the selection. As he meandered through the city market, he was again amazed at the complete turnaround the place had experienced. Everyone was bustling to and fro about their business, everyone had a spring in their step. There were no gangs of hungry children running about trying to knick fruits or vegetables, and most of all, no roving pairs of obvious enforcers subjugating the locals. Times changed fast, apparently.

Eventually Naruto located an inn that wouldn't gouge his purse too heavily, and put himself down for a week's stay. If he wanted to go longer, he'd need to find work pretty quickly. That was a subject he'd have preferred to avoid a little longer - as a shinobi he was capable of a more dangerous and varied selection of jobs than common laborers, but looking up that kind of work in a place like Nami - that is, an ordinary city - almost guaranteed crossing over to the wrong side of the law. Naruto wasn't quite ready to take such a step yet, but even if he were, there was the issue of his rank to think about. As a genin, he had to admit his selection of techniques and overall experience were, frankly, pathetic. He was years away from being able to solo missions of any greater difficulty than delivering milk to old ladies. That left him with a choice among the more mundane career fields for the time being - but he would still need a lot of free time to continue practicing and studying. There were plenty of options around, but going through them all was a task best left for another day.

For now, Naruto needed to make himself unrecognizable. As he was considering several ideas on how to go about doing so, he reached his room and let himself in. It was a simple affair - a single average size bed, small writing desk and lamp, washroom to the side and a small kitchenette near the doorway. Enough to satisfy his basic needs indefinitely. Setting down his travel pack and making sure he had a few kunai hidden under his sleeves, Naruto left to see what the city had to offer a shinobi on the run.

oooooo

Two hours later, Naruto had acquired a new wardrobe, a new hairstyle, a much lighter purse, and a head full of questions.

Clothes had been relatively easy - Nami had more than a few tailors, apparently. His chosen items were already the appropriate size, and modifications had been fairly basic. He'd started with a sturdy pair of black drawstring pants, several white T-shirts and a high-collared black long coat. The coat was lined with white and reversible, which would allow him to blend into areas where dark colors might not be preferable. He then had the knees of the pants lined with extra thick layers of cloth and extra pockets woven into the lower legs. He'd also acquired a new pair of sandals, more rugged and durable than his last set. He wasted no time swapping out his old clothes for the new ensemble before continuing his rounds.

Getting his hair changed had been slightly more complicated. Naruto knew that his anonymity depended on maintaining a description completely at odds with the image he'd held as a member of Konoha. A blond boy with blue eyes and whisker marks on his cheeks would be recognized instantly, even across a crowded city square. While the eyes were temporary (he hoped), there wasn't much he could do about the whiskers. He could change the color and style of his hair, but not permanently, which was the ideal solution. Luckily, while asking around in the market, Naruto learned of a barber that actually could do such a thing, and eventually located his place of business.

oooooo

Stepping inside the doorway, Naruto was greeted by a small yet cheerful shop. Three swiveling chairs stood in front of a long counter, and the entire wall above was taken up by a large mirror. Sitting in one of the chairs, reading a newspaper, was a mustachioed old man with friendly eyes, who looked up as soon as the opening door rang a little bell.

"Ah, welcome young man," he said as he set aside the paper and stood up. "What can I do for you today?"

Naruto looked at the man for a moment before responding, "They told me you can change a person's hair color permanently. Is that for real?"

The old man grinned. "Yes, yes it's true. I suppose it's hard to believe without proper explanation. If you like, I can tell you how it works while we get you fixed up, hmm?" As he spoke, he turned a chair to face Naruto, who hung up his new coat and moved forward to take his seat.

Turning Naruto's chair to face the mirror, the old man continued to speak. "Now then," he said as he lifted up Naruto's hair in various places, "how would you like this done? It looks like your hair's used to being held up; you're accustomed to wearing a headband, I'd guess. I'll have to shorten it a bit to get it to settle down if you want to keep going without one. And this back area is totally flattened. We can do something about that, too."

Naruto watched the old man's reflection as he worked. "Yea, shorter would be fine. I'm not so worried about the style, it's mostly the color I want to go."

The old man nodded, "Of course. What did you have in mind?"

Naruto considered this for a few minutes, before answering, "How about white?"

"White? Are you sure you want to start looking my age so soon?" the old man replied with a chuckle. "Well, I suppose it'll make for an interesting contrast. This could take a little while, so make yourself comfortable." He picked up a pair of clippers and set to work on Naruto's bangs. "I suppose I should introduce myself. Kensu is my name."

"Uzu- er... Naruto," Naruto returned, cursing himself for the slip. _How the hell are you going to stay hidden if you give people your full name, idiot?_

Kensu looked at him curiously for a brief moment but didn't comment. "What brings you to Nami, Naruto-san?"

Naruto looked at Kensu's reflection again. "How did you know I'm not a local?"

Kensu laughed. "Because you haven't heard of me, naturally!"

Naruto grinned at that. "Yea, I guess you got me there. I'm, uh, just here to see the marketplace. I heard this place really turned around after Gatou got taken out."

At this point Naruto realized he had screwed up, badly. It never occurred to him to think of a cover story for his presence, but it should have been the very first thing he considered before even entering the city. If he didn't have a plausible reason for being in a particular place, he was sure to raise suspicions. Worse, it might alert ANBU to his whereabouts. Fortunately, his present circumstances were forgiving, and now that he knew his mistake, he could be sure not to repeat it in the future.

Kensu nodded, apparently taking Naruto's motives at face value. "Yes, that was a bad time. Many people were forced to leave the city. Those who were able, at any rate." For a brief moment, his eyes squeezed shut. "Yet Tazuna-san never lost his resolve. Even under the threat of death, he kept trying to make his dream a reality. You can see how things have turned out since then. We owe him much for restoring Nami to its former prosperity."

At that moment Kensu straightened and took a step back. "I'm almost ready to apply the color you requested. Give me just a moment." He then brought his hands together, prayer fashion, and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, his fingertips began glowing with chakra. Returning to his position behind Naruto's chair, Kensu began lightly massaging the boy's scalp. Naruto felt a strong tickling sensation on the crown of his head as the old man's fingers wove practiced patterns through his hair.

As he worked, Kensu spoke again. "This technique is actually very simple, if you have any skill with controlling your chakra. Basically, the chakra stimulates your hair follicles, and causes the pigment cells to expand or contract. The result is a change in the amount of melanin that leaches into your hair, which is where the new color comes from. With enough practice, you can give yourself any color you want... as long as it's something natural."

Naruto watched the barber's reflection in the mirror, noticing that even after his hands passed over a certain area on his head, he was still completely blond. "Why isn't it working?"

Kensu chuckled. "It _is_ working. You just can't tell yet because it only effects the cells in your scalp. Once your hair has grown out a bit, you'll start to notice the change. When I've finished my treatment, we can fix you up with some ordinary dye to get the color you want right away. If you like, I can also provide some optional colors for you to experiment with. No sense tying yourself down this quickly, eh?"

Kensu continued his work, humming softly to himself as Naruto gazed around the shop. It was well lit, and nicely appointed, but it was also small, and located out of the way of the greater market. Naruto guessed that it was one of those 'hole in the wall' type of places that tended to survive more because of loyal customers than any advertising. The thought brought back memories of Ichiraku and his little stand. If Kensu's quality of work was anything like Ichiraku's, Naruto was certain he'd be plenty satisfied, whatever the result. At that moment, the barber faced Naruto's gaze in the mirror and asked a question that jolted him out of his musings.

"You're a shinobi, aren't you?"

Naruto could not look away from the strangely intense gaze he was now being subjected to. After a few moments, he nodded once.

Kensu nodded to himself, and returned his attention to Naruto's scalp. "I thought so. Your chakra feels much more developed than any of my other customers'. You're not wearing your forehead protector, though. What village do you come from?"

Naruto's expression became pained, momentarily, before he recollected himself. "I don't have a village anymore."

Kensu looked at him sharply. "A missing nin," he hissed. He straightened up and took a step away from Naruto's seat, opening the distance between them slightly. His posture and tone had changed completely, from that of a harmless old man to an unexpectedly deadly threat. "What is your business in Nami?" His voice had changed, too, becoming deeper, and more resonant. The man was clearly a skilled actor.

Naruto sensed that his life depended on his answer, so he faced Kensu's gaze squarely in the mirror. "Just gathering supplies. I don't want any trouble."

Kensu grunted a short, harsh laugh. "You're going about this the wrong way, then, Naruto-san. Going missing from a hidden village is probably the fastest way to get yourself on a kill list." He stared at Naruto's reflected visage. "I'll ask again. Which village did you run away from?"

Naruto looked down at his feet. "Konoha."

Kensu continued to stare for several minutes before finally letting off a sigh. He straightened, dropping his combat ready stance. He was Kensu the barber again. "I won't ask why you left, kid. But for your own sake, you'd better hope you haven't led anyone to Nami on your heels. Now. I suppose you're wondering just how a simple old barber knows so much about you shinobi, hmm?"

Naruto looked up at the mirror, then swiveled his chair to face Kensu directly. "You're no barber."

Kensu smiled ruefully. "Actually, I am... but I see your point. There's no great mystical secret about it. As it turns out, I too am a missing nin. Rather, I _was_. That's all long behind me now."

Naruto's jaw dropped open. "But..." He looked around at the shop and its trappings, the obvious products of years of hard work. Years obviously _not _spent on the run from hunter nin. "But how long have you been here? Aren't you worried about ANBU finding you?"

Kensu chuckled at the Naruto's confusion. "Didn't you stop to think about what I was doing to your hair just a few minutes ago? I was a spymaster for ANBU, back in the day. I'm a master of disguises, not some helpless retiree. But, even if they did find me, what difference can it make now? I'm not so long for the world as I used to be, you know."

He folded his arms as he regarded Naruto's expression of dawning comprehension. "Listen, kid, if you're going to live on the run, you'd better sharpen up. Never mind that I could tell you were a shinobi, you didn't do that great a job making me believe you're here for any ordinary reason. And you nearly gave yourself away when you introduced yourself. That was sloppy. Only truly dangerous shinobi ever give out their full names, and I'm pretty sure you're not one of those yet."

Naruto scowled slightly at the comment, but he knew the old man was right, and decided to hold his tongue. Still, it was a near thing.

Kensu sighed again, rubbing his head. "Look, it's pretty obvious you're new at this, so I'll help you out a little. First of all, forget about paying for my services. You can consider it my side of a bargain for Nami's safety. And if you think your presence doesn't put Nami at risk, then you really _don't_ have a clue what you're doing. Just take my word for it. Second, I want you to meet me again tomorrow evening. Say about an hour before sunset, out on the far side of the bridge in the forest to the north. Look for a clearing with a sawed off tree trunk in its center. I'll see you there."

Kensu looked at him again with a hard glare, causing Naruto to recoil slightly. "One more thing. If you breathe a word of this to _anyone_, I will find out, and then I will kill you myself. I've decided to help you, but I'm not going to let you squander what I've built for myself here. Understand?"

Naruto swallowed, and nodded. He didn't doubt the old man could back his words up.

Kensu smiled. "Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-san. Oh, before I forget..." He walked over to a set of shelves on the back wall and took down a bottle, then tossed it to Naruto. "Use that straightaway. And, watch your back."

As Naruto rose from his seat and tucked the bottle away, Kensu retrieved his paper and settled himself down in another chair. Naruto watched him for a moment, thoughts whirling in his head. Then he turned, took his coat from its hook on the wall, and left.

oooooo

An hour later, Naruto was staring at his reflection in the mirror, examining the effect of his new hair color. Having followed Kensu's instructions immediately after returning to his room at the inn, he was now sporting a head of pure white. Also, as he'd suspected, Kensu's styling was superb. Instead of a crop of spikes sticking straight up, Naruto's hair was now cut close to the scalp, with just enough length to pull off some ragged edging. A tiny ponytail had been tied off at the base of his skull, completing the new look.

Naruto closed his eyes slowly, then opened them again, revealing the red eyes of the Kyuubi. The difference was shocking. Where before the Kyuubi's eyes had been startling, against their new white background, they could be terrifying. Naruto grinned, exposing one of his enlarged fangs, and appreciated the jolt his reflected visage gave him. The overall image was that of a boy gone totally feral - the sort of person who might do absolutely _anything._ Yes, this would do just fine.

Naruto was not interested in scaring random people, but there was no question that he would be spending much of his time alone in the wilderness in an effort to avoid the hunters from Konoha. Naruto had enough experience to understand that there was almost no chance he would not cross paths with other shinobi in his travels. Since his abilities were still trivial compared to many jounin, the best option he had was to cultivate a truly frightening image in order to gain some psychological advantage. Even if he was only able to intimidate his foes for a few seconds, those were still seconds of extra time he could use to prepare for battle - an invaluable resource to any shinobi. And who knew, maybe it would be popular with the ladies.

For one moment, he let himself think about Sakura, before putting the pink-haired kunoichi out of mind. Satisfied that his new image was complete, Naruto let the red fade from his eyes as he turned away from the mirror and retrieved his coat. It was time to visit Zabuza.

oooooo

The sun was just crossing the horizon by the time Naruto reached the section of forest where he and the rest of Team 7 had laid Zabuza and his disciple Haku to rest. He proceeded slowly, not wanting to disturb the site any more than absolutely necessary. Meters passed in silence, and then he was beyond the last line of tress, entering a small grassy field that ended in a point at the land's edge. Sheer walls dropped down from all sides except straight back, providing an unobstructed view of Nami and other islands which lay beyond. Just before the drop stood two crude wooden grave markers, side by side. No markings were carved into the posts - the only clue to the identity of those who rested beneath was the enormous sword piercing the earth in front of them. Naruto approached the site until he stood five paces away from the great sword, made a silent prayer, and clapped his hands once. He then spent some time examining the blade before him.

Kubikiri Houchou was one of the Seven Swords of the Mist - its shape was unmistakable, and its reputation fearsome... much like that of its former wielder, the Demon Momochi Zabuza. The blade extended well over a meter in length and stretched as wide as a small tree. A scoop in its edged side near the hilt guard and a round hole near the tip gave credibility to the name _Neck Cleaver._ If it was the craftsman's intention to give shape to the word 'brutality', he could scarcely have done better. Naruto traced the sword's outline with his eyes, committing every detail to memory. Then he raised his gaze to the two grave markers once more.

"Hello, Zabuza," he started, a bit awkwardly. It wasn't often he visited the graves of defeated foes who had tried their best to kill him and his team, after all. "I think maybe you know why I'm here, sorta. I've left Konoha. I'm a missing nin, now... like you." Naruto grimaced, casting about for the right words. "Well, okay, I didn't try to kill anyone and I wasn't chased out, but still... there's nothing left for me there." A light breeze swept through the grass, diverting Naruto's thoughts momentarily. "It sucks, honestly. I did my best to live up to the ninja way I made for myself, but all it got me was a load of bad memories and a broken promise."

Naruto grimaced as he realized he was probably just irritating Zabuza with childish whining. "Okay, well, I can't keep on living that way. I thought I could make everyone acknowledge me if I just kept on trying, but... that wasn't enough. I spent my whole life trying to earn that, and you know what? I'm tired of wanting everyone's approval. I think it's time I started living for _myself_. And... I need your help."

Gathering his thoughts, and his courage, Naruto plowed forward before he could lose his nerve. "I want to take your sword with me. To me, it's a symbol of what you used to be. Whatever else you might have been, you were a free man. And that's what I'm going to be. But I'm going to need an edge, so to speak. So, if you don't mind..." With that said, he reached forward and grasped the blade's handle, tensed as he awaited some sign of Zabuza's feelings about the matter. Seconds passed, and nothing happened.

Consigning his fate to the gods, Naruto strengthened his grip and heaved, pulling the mighty blade from the ground and raising it upright before him. Still nothing happened. Accepting the lack of reaction as Zabuza's acquiescence, Naruto bowed once to the grave markers. "Your memory lives in this sword, Zabuza. I'll do my best to preserve it." Resting the sword across his shoulders, he began making his way back to the city. There was still much to be done.

* * *

_Holy crap this took a long time to finish! I really am sorry for the wait - life has been very busy and it's just going to get worse. I originally planned this chapter to be longer, but at this point it's better to get it out there and just wipe off the slate a bit._

_Obviously I've taken some liberties with canon in this segment. Call it what you will, but this is kind of an AU / Divergence, and anyway a dumb hero just can't survive on his own in a world where literally everyone you meet can and probably will try to kill you just for making the wrong face at them. So there._

_A few fun facts - some of Naruto's vicious retroactive character development was partially inspired by S'TarKan's **Team 8** - hope you don't mind, Viridian. Also, for those of you who are freakishly attentive to detail, Naruto's new outfit is the very same from Shiippuuden's second outro sequence. You know the one, where the Naruto cast fill in their own version of GTO? Yea, that one.  
_

_Also, Nami means Wave, although hopefully you figured that out from context. Ah well, precautions and all that. See you all next time (hopefully sooner than later)!_

_PS - HOLY CRAP I did not realize the document editor doesn't transfer symbols and I totally submitted a story with run-on sections and what the hell is up with that! That's fixed now, hopefully nobody got too frustrated with it. :D  
_


	3. Chapter 2

**I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Inspired by "Never Cut Twice", written by **shadowmaster62.

**Naruto: Paths Less Traveled**

**Chapter 2**

After three hours of searching the next day (not that he would ever admit to such a travesty), Naruto finally stumbled onto the clearing the old man in the barber shop had described to him. Several more minutes went by before he could stop grinding his teeth in frustration. He'd suspected one of those endless maze genjutsu at one point, but the fact that he never crossed his own path or passed the same landmark twice was evidence that he had gotten well and truly lost all on his own merit.

Even worse, with the fact that he'd given himself so much extra time (nevermind that he'd needed much more than he should have), _he was four hours early!_ How the hell he was going to pass the time was a mystery, but he'd be damned if he was going to just leave and get lost while trying to find the place, yet again! The pale-haired boy glared murderously at the sun perched high in the sky, which showed absolutely no sign of crossing the horizon any time soon. So much for small favors.

Naruto sighed huffily and made his way to the center of the small field where an old tree stump sat mournfully alone, dropping his pack and sword unceremoniously at its gnarled roots. Just as he made to sit down, however, his stomach growled. "Great," he muttered to himself. "One more reason to hate this stupid forest." The reason, of course, was the forest's conspicuous lack of anything like a ramen stand within thirty feet. Or three thousand, for that matter. Grumbling again for good measure, Naruto fished a trail bar from his pack and snatched up his canteen. His impromptu lunch kept him occupied for a full seven minutes.

Finally, there was nothing for him to do but lean back and stare at the wall of trees surrounding him on all sides while listening to the lazy buzz of mid afternoon. After what seemed an eternity (really only about forty-two seconds), his gaze drifted down to his recently acquired sword. Naruto contemplated the weapon for some time, trying to decide just how he would make use of it. At the time, standing in front of the graves of two men he admired, it had just seemed so _right _to take Kubikiri Houcho for himself. By doing so, he felt that he'd taken up a proud tradition - which, by the way, he had. Although, if Naruto had possessed any knowledge of what the _real _meaning behind that particular tradition was, there stood a good chance he'd have dropped the business entirely out of sheer horror.

At the moment, though, he felt a little silly. The longer he considered it, the more concerned Naruto became about his ability to wield such a blade in battle. After all, the blasted thing was _heavy._ Not as heavy as it certainly should have been, but definitely enough to be awkward. And with the fact that Kubikiri Houcho was over six feet long, that reduction of weight didn't mean a whole lot. The design was bizarre, too - really, what the heck was that hole near the end supposed to do, anyway? The inside wasn't sharpened. It wasn't like he could reach it with his off hand for leverage. If he was a little taller, he might have been able to put his foot through it and still have his hand on the grip, if he didn't mind looking like some kind of freak performance artist.

It went without saying that Naruto had absolutely no knowledge of the crafting and proper use of swords of any kind. In the end, he decided to simply start swinging his new weapon around to see what happened next.

oooooo

The doors to the Hokage's office opened, just wide enough to permit a harried Shizune to exit before closing them carefully behind her. She gave the hall a quick look in both directions before allowing herself a small sigh of relief. Honestly, how was she supposed to fulfill her duties as a medic if she was stuck doing clerical work for Tsunade sixteen hours each day? She had a career to think about, and secretary was most definitely not on her list of dream jobs! Just as the thought was crossing her mind, a loud grumbling issued from the office behind her. It was time to leave - if she stayed any longer she risked being called back inside.

Shizune wasted no time moving to her next destination, in the basement of the tower where the records archive was kept. There she deposited the next stack of scrolls containing the latest edicts, approvals, and other of the Hokage's myriad concerns in the receptacles marked for items needing to be processed. The truly amazing thing about today, Shizune reflected, was that Tsunade was actually doing work in that office, and not snitching more of that cheap sake from the cupboard hidden behind the wall panel she thought she'd kept a secret from her apprentice.

oooooo

Behind her desk, Tsunade sneezed violently, spilling pungent liquid from the small saucer she'd just raised to her lips... all over the scroll that she'd just finished writing over the course of the last thirty minutes.

"Damn it!"

oooooo

Having finished her task, Shizune ascended the stairs leading back to the upper levels of the tower. At the first landing, she received her second surprise for the day, in the form of four familiar shinobi from Konoha's closest allied village. "Oh! Welcome back to Konoha, Baki-san. Greetings Temari-san, Kankuro-san, Gaara-san. Are you here to meet with the Hokage?"

Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara each nodded a curt greeting in return as Baki maneuvered around his genin team to greet her. "Well met, Shizune-san. Yes, we were just on our way up. And thank you, it is always a pleasure to be welcomed by our allies." Leaning in slightly he continued in a lower voice, "I trust the Hokage is not... indisposed?"

Shizune at once grasped the true question behind Baki's inquiry and shook her head with a reassuring smile. "She is in good spirits today, Baki-san." _Relatively._ "Shall I take you to her now?"

Baki nodded. "Please. I'm afraid we have important news to discuss." Behind him, the Suna siblings shuffled uncomfortably. Gaara's expression remained carved from stone, although that was nothing unusual for the demon container.

Shizune could feel tension in the air, but refrained from asking prying questions. "Right this way," she said as she started up the spiraling stairway.

The trip to the upper level was short and silent, and before long they reached the double doors of the Hokage's office. Shizune knocked twice to announce their presence before stepping in. "Hokage-sama? Baki-san and his team are here from Suna with a report."

Tsunade looked up from where she'd just been wiping her desk, absently hiding a small bottle from view of the doorway. "I'll see them now, Shizune. Send them in." A moment later Team Baki entered the office, the three genin and their sensei arraying themselves at attention before the Hokage's desk. Baki's nose twitched slightly at the tang of spilt liquor, and he fought to avoid giving any other sign that he'd noticed. "Greetings from Suna, Hokage-sama. We come with dire news."

Behind them, Shizune let herself back out, closing the door softly and cutting off whatever else was being said within. She wouldn't be needed for this, and if they stayed long enough she might even get to the library before anyone noticed she was missing. Breaking into a little whistle, she set off at a brisk walk.

She was about halfway down the hall when Tsunade's voice echoed from the office.

"_WHAT?__!_"

oooooo

Another three and a half hours later, Naruto was still practicing. After swinging Kubikiri Houcho about randomly, he'd eventually gotten some grasp of how to handle the blade less awkwardly. He'd then devised some very rudimentary drills to help instill some muscle memory. So far it seemed to be working, although it was hard to tell over the sound of his body screaming at him like a man lit on fire. Even if the sword was much lighter than it ought to be, he was still doing something completely unfamiliar with his arms and shoulders, and they felt it. Even his back was sore. The only comfort Naruto could think of was the idea that somehow, someday, Kubikiri Houcho would be an extension of his will.

Assuming he lived to reach eighty. A hundred, on the outside.

For the moment, however, he needed a break. The sky had been steadily darkening over the last hour - the sun was already well past the tops of the trees and was rapidly approaching the horizon. Setting his sword against the old stump, Naruto gingerly sat himself down and fished through his pack for another trail bar. The old missing-nin barber was due at any time now, and Naruto suspected he'd need his strength for what was to come. Having finally located his next meal, he sat back and began to eat absently, letting his gaze roam about the small meadow.

"Kid, you've got some _lousy_ senses," said a voice from directly behind him.

It took every ounce of Naruto's willpower to avoid choking to death right then and there. As it was, he leapt straight up out of his seat with arms flailing and landed in a rumpled heap among old tree roots. Kensu, standing on top of the stump, took a few moments to laugh loudly at his expense. From his new seat on the ground, Naruto could do little more than glare impotently at the deceptively old man.

The old man in question didn't miss a beat. "I could have severed your spine just now, you know," he mused quietly, twirling a kunai around his finger. "Maybe bled you out from the kidneys, snapped your neck, or whatever." As he spoke, Kensu glared threateningly. "You'd better do something really impressive to convince me that you're actually worth training, or I might just leave right now."

Brushing dirt off of himself, Naruto got back to his feet, giving the old man a glare of his own. "Just what the hell are you talking about, gramps? We had a deal! You'd better not be quitting before we've even had a chance to get started!"

Scowling, Kensu stepped off of the stump toward Naruto, before roughly shoving him back to the ground away from his gear. "Let's get something straight, kid - I'm not about to go wasting my time and effort on a nobody like you just because you're young and naive. I'm no babysitter. I offered you my help to get you away from my city, but if you don't even have the common decency to at least _pretend_ you have some instinct of self preservation, I don't see why I should bother!"

Naruto opened his mouth to retort.

"Shut up!" Kensu ordered, cutting the boy off before he even got started. "Get this through your head while you have the chance. I'm here to train you in the basics of evasion, stealth, and resourcefulness. You'll need all three if you want to have any hope of survival when the hunter nin come looking for you, and believe me, they will come. You know what a hunter nin does, don't you?"

Naruto answered through clenched teeth, "They catch missing nin."

"Wrong!" Kensu responded. "They _kill_ missing nin. And they don't do it pretty-like, either. They don't announce their intentions, they don't send you challenges to meet them in honorable combat,_ they_ _don't fight fair_. They will put you down like a rabid dog, without warning or hesitation. If you want to go on living, you'll have to fight for every night and every day, for the rest of your life, or until you manage to convince them you're already dead, and even then you might still have them on your trail. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. There are no second chances. _Got it?_"

Naruto swallowed heavily, climbing to his feet once again. It was slowly dawning on him that he truly was on a path of no return. "I got it, old man."

Kensu nodded, apparently satisfied. "Good. Consider this lesson number one, kid. Good news is, if you forget this one, you'll probably never know. Now, I have some basic techniques I'm going to share with you, but first I have one little question."

Naruto nodded.

"What the hell are you doing with _that?_" Kensu demanded, pointing at Kubikiri Houcho where it rested on the ground.

Naruto looked at the blade for a moment. "You knew about Zabuza, then?" he asked, cutting right to the heart of Kensu's question.

Kensu nodded. "He had a fearsome reputation in the circles he moved through, kid. The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist are legendary. But more to the point, I happen to recall that until very recently it was marking a pair of graves not far from here. Why do you have it now?"

Naruto grimaced as memories came rushing back to the forefront of his mind. "I was there the day he died." Kensu's expression didn't change, but his eyes widened with interest, and Naruto continued. "My team was hired to escort the man who built that bridge back there against anyone who would try to attack him. What we didn't know at the time was that Zabuza and his apprentice had been hired to take him out. We fought a couple of times. The second time we met was on the bridge, before it was finished. That was where Zabuza died, only we didn't kill him. He was betrayed by Gatou."

Kensu studied Naruto thoughtfully. "So you're that Naruto, eh? Hmph, I should have guessed sooner. You still haven't told me what makes you think you have the right to take that weapon, though."

Naruto's gaze fell to the grass in front of him. "Zabuza died avenging the only person who was ever important to him. He went down fighting for his way of the ninja. I took Kubikiri Houcho as a way to honor what he stood for. What _I'm _standing for."

Kensu eyed the young boy speculatively. "And what is it that the two of you stand for?"

Naruto looked back up, meeting his gaze. "Freedom."

Kensu snorted. Then he chuckled, until that chuckle became full blown laughter. Finally, he wound up sitting on the tree stump, slapping his knee and roaring with unrestrained mirth until he had to stop for fear of asphyxiation. Naruto's face was a study in mixed emotions, shifting from surprise, to suspicion, to barely suppressed rage. How dare this old _hairdresser _mock his ninja way! Just who the hell was _he _to make fun of his dream? Of Zabuza's?

Wiping tears from his eyes, Kensu tried to compose himself with several deep breaths before trusting himself to speak. "Oh, boy. Kid, you are an absolute gas. 'Freedom'... *snort* Oh, dear me... You actually think-" Suddenly he was engulfed in a wave of killing intent. Looking up, Kensu saw the effect his words were having on the young former genin. The boy's eyes had gone red, with slit pupils, and red chakra - red! - was drifting lazily about his tensed body.

Kensu had no trouble maintaining his bearing, but it was clear that there was more to the brat than met the eye, and caution was warranted. Holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture, he spoke quickly before the situation could come to blows. "Now hold on a second! Calm down! I think you've misunderstood me, kid."

Naruto glowered at the man, letting the chakra bleed away. His eyes were still red. "Explain," he ordered coolly. Good gods above, were his teeth _serrated_?

Kensu crossed his arms, frowning at the boy in front of him. "You're a missing nin. I'm going to go on a limb and guess that this 'freedom' thing is a large part of why you left. That's fine - it's close enough to the same reason everyone else leaves. But you better understand, kid, there are times when you make choices and there are times when you have no choices. If you think you've finally found freedom now that you don't bow to one of the Kage, well, you're in for serious disappointment."

He paused, an unreadable expression crossing his face as he watched the boy. Eventually Naruto's eyes cleared back to their original blue, but he kept his stance, daring Kensu to provoke him again. "You've got guts, kid. You don't look like the type to back out of something once you've started. But you really are an idiot if you think things are just going to magically work out for you. Now, I'll help you, just like we agreed. You get one night. One night to learn as much as you can, and then you get gone from here, and you never come back. Are these terms acceptable to you?"

Naruto weighed his options. On one hand, he stood to gain a fair amount of knowledge that would no doubt be useful for his journey. On the other... well, he'd only just arrived, and had made no plans about where to go next. Maybe that could be rectified. "I'll accept, on one condition. You tell me about any places you know of where I can get plenty of supplies and some prospects for work. You're a missing nin, you must have needed to bunker down more than once before coming to this place."

Kensu snorted, amused but not really surprised. "You want me to tell you what to do next? Why don't you choose? You're _free_ now, remember?"

Naruto smirked. "I told you to give me options, not orders."

Kensu's expression cleared into a small grin. "You're learning. Alright, kid, I'll draw up a list of possible hideouts after we finish your training. Now..." he settled into a combat ready stance. "Shall we begin?"

oooooo

Temari stepped into her temporary quarters, closing the door behind her with relief. Finally, a chance to rest up from the journey across countries - not to mention an intense grilling session courtesy of the most volatile Hokage ever appointed. The experience would not soon leave her memory. Witnessing the Hokage, a member of the legendary Sannin and the last remaining heir of the mighty Senju clan, become so profoundly shocked and dismayed that she'd actually forgotten to _breathe _for a minute was unnerving on several levels. It was obvious she'd cared deeply for the blonde brat. What was his name again? Oh, right. Naruto.

Which brought Temari to the _other _unforgettable item of her day - namely the question of how someone so upbeat that they managed to crack Gaara, _Sabaku no Gaara, the demon of Suna and vessel of the devil Shukaku_, out of his warped and introverted shell after maybe a few hours of contact... how could such a positively energized person ever wish to commit suicide? It was simply beyond her comprehension. The only thing she could believe was that something truly devastating had occurred in the boy's life to throw him completely over the edge - and it was difficult to imagine what could cause such trauma in a person's life. Not even Gaara himself was keen on dying, and that was really saying something.

Temari was only grateful she hadn't been the one to make the discovery and report it to the Hokage herself - she'd been a bystander for most of that meeting. It was Gaara who Naruto had apparently approached shortly before wandering into the desert to die. If anyone else had reported it, she would have questioned the story's validity in a heartbeat. For Gaara, though, she had no grounds to do so. Gaara had been known to randomly disappear for unexplained reasons for years, and on top of that, his bond with Naruto was deeper than mere friendship - both boys shared the experiences of being outcasts, even if Gaara still held the edge by having been made a jinchuuriki. Of course they would have found time to meet in private if they'd so wished.

As she mused over the events of the day further, Temari's door opened once more, admitting Kankuro to her chambers. She immediately threw the closest item at hand - a small hairbrush - at his face, not even looking to see if he dodged it. "Idiot! Knock before you enter a girl's room! What if I'd been dressing?"

Kankuro, having snatched the brush before it reached his temple, smirked knowingly. "Right, right. Because we all know under that gruff, tough exterior you're just a sweet, sensitive lady who enjoys romantic dinners and walks under the moonlight. Besides," his smirk widened into a grin, "You ain't got nothin' I haven't seen before anyway."

This time Temari did hit him with her projectile, which turned out to be a compact. "That's disgusting, you pervert! I'm your _sister! _And I'm oldest, which means I have every right to gut you like a fish if you even think of doing that again!"

Kankuro held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, fine, I'll knock! Sheesh, did Gaara's sand get in your skirt while we weren't looking?" He tossed the compact and hairbrush onto his sister's bed negligently. "Anyway, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you. You seemed to be out of it on the way over here."

Temari rested a hand on her hip irritably. "First of all, shut up. Second, I'm fine, thanks for asking." She paused for a minute, considering. "Actually, now that you mention it, where is Gaara, anyway? I don't think he even stayed with us after we left the tower."

Kankuro shrugged, "How should I know? He does what he wants. Maybe he wanted to get out and see the village again."

Temari arched an eyebrow. "Brother, it's already dark out. What could he possibly be interested in that wouldn't already have been shut down until tomorrow?"

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "Like I said, how should I know? Maybe he went to a bar or something."

Temari frowned. "He's _fourteen, _Kankuro."

Both siblings gazed at each other in total seriousness, letting the last comment sink in for a handful of heartbeats, before they dissolved into uncontrollable laughter.

"Ahahaha! He's _fourteen,_" Kankuro wheezed between gasps for air. "Oh man, Temari, I think you outdid yourself with that one... Whew!" Attempting to regain his composure, he wiped a few tears from his eyes, still chuckling.

Temari was giggling as she tried to answer, "Heehee.. I can't believe the look you had on your face when I said that! Priceless!" With that, the tension in the room evaporated completely.

After about three repetitions they finally managed to calm their breathing to the point where they didn't start laughing all over again at the sheer ridiculousness of the idea that Gaara was a normal child who needed to be supervised.

Eventually, Kankuro spoke once more. "You know, he has been acting pretty weirdly lately. I mean, even for him. Do you think something might be up that we don't know about?"

Temari sat on the edge of her bed. "You know I can't answer that. He doesn't _talk. _How is anyone supposed to know what goes through that boy's head?" She had to admit, though, that she was worried. Gaara had been especially reserved lately, even visibly depressed. Also, he hadn't threatened to kill anyone since they left Suna! But of course, no one was brave enough to risk his wrath by raising the subject of his mental health in front of him - not even Baki.

Kankuro leaned against the doorframe, frowning at his feet. "You realize we can't just let it continue. If he keeps going this way, he might let _it _back out. Hell, he might not even notice when it happens if he's actually as tuned out as he's looked the last few days." They both shuddered at the thought of another demonic rampage.

Temari sighed. "I'll see if I can't get Baki to speak with him. He's the only one Gaara actually listens to, anyway. But for now, I want to sleep. Shoo." She waved her brother away dismissively.

Kankuro nodded, straightened and stepped out, closing the door behind him. A quietly voiced "Goodnight" drifted through just before it clicked into place. "Goodnight," she answered to the shut door.

Despite her words, Temari remained seated at the edge of her bed, not moving, for a long time. Dark thoughts chased each other in her head. What consequences would the blonde's death have for the three siblings? Gaara was acting as depressed as any normal person might, but for him, it must have been much worse than that to display itself so obviously. Suppose it went deeper? What if the news had broken him, somehow? He'd never cared for anyone before. How would he finally choose to react to losing the only person he'd ever invested his feelings in?

With such thoughts, Temari found herself lying wide awake for the rest of the night, staring at shadows as fear threatened to consume her soul.

oooooo

Early the next morning, Shizune entered the Hokage's office with the first stack of papers that required Tsunade's review. She then had to save herself from falling flat on her face as her feet suddenly rebelled, refusing to move while her mind attempted to overcome the shock it had just received.

_Tsunade was already sitting behind her desk! And she was doing paperwork!_

Shizune checked her watch and pinched herself on the cheek. Hard. Looking up, she saw that the Hokage was indeed not some form of dream or hallucination. She had actually come in to work early!

Tsunade looked up after a moment had passed and growled at her assistant. "Shizune! Where the hell have you been? I needed you here an hour ago!"

Shizune 'eeped' and snapped back to her senses. "H-Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Sighing to herself under her breath, she rushed forward and deposited the stack of papers on the corner of the Hokage's desk. Some things would never change, it seemed. But what was Tsunade doing here so early? She had to know. Moving forward, she coughed lightly. "Er, Tsunade-sama... you're looking well today," she forwarded delicately. In the corner, Tonton bweh'ed cheerfully, punctuating the apprentice's statement.

Tsunade harrumphed irritably. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm almost completely sober and I didn't even get a chance to go to that poker game last night! I'm pissed off and you're late!" As she spoke her last words, she abruptly penned her name onto the scroll in front of her so forcefully that she tore through the parchment. "Shit! I'm going to need another copy of this." She handed the scroll to Shizune and unrolled another, already scanning the details within.

Shizune, however, was still trying to catch up with what she'd heard. "Late? B-but Tsunade-sama, it's only seven in the morning! You never come in this early!" Seeing her master's glare suddenly focusing on herself, she gulped loudly. "I- that is, of course! I'll get this back to you right away!" With that she fled the office as fast as her heeled feet would carry her.

_What in the world was going on?_

oooooo

Back in the office, Tsunade dropped her pen and leaned into her chair, pinching her nose. "ANBU!" she barked loudly.

Immediately, a black-clad nin wearing a wolf mask shunshined into the space in front of her desk. "Hai, Hokage-sama!"

Tsunade looked up at the man. "I need you to fetch Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Jiraiya and bring them here as soon as possible!" She stopped for a second and corrected herself. "Wait, don't go looking for Jiraiya, he's out of the village right now. Just get the other two."

"Hai!" The wolf-masked ANBU nodded and was gone. With that, Tsunade leaned her head back against her seat, and breathed deeply.

She should never have come back to this gods-forsaken village. How _dare _that bastard son of a jackal Jiraiya seek her out to take the job that should have been his! What right did he have to disrupt her perfectly happy descent into drunken and forgetful oblivion? And to think he'd stoop to playing dirty tricks! He'd _known _what affect Naruto would have on her. Somehow he'd discovered a near-perfect imitation of her beloved Dan and brought him right into her life! He'd known she would sympathize with his dream of becoming Hokage, just like Dan, and that she would take on the responsibility of shepherding him toward it!

Now she was the Godaime, trapped in the last place she had ever wanted to see as long as she lived, making bonds with countless new shinobi as they all conducted their duties for the good of the people. And now Naruto was dead, by his own hand! That is, if the report from Suna was to be believed.

A report she intended to verify directly.

At that moment the door opened once more, as Shizune let herself back into the office. The young woman fairly ran to the desk, offering Tsunade the fresh scroll in her hands. "Here is the copy you requested, Tsunade-sama!"

Tsunade refocused on the task at hand as she accepted the scroll, and laid it on the desk. "Shizune. I need you to go out and collect Baki and his team immediately. I want them here in ten minutes or less." Looking up, she noticed that her apprentice had not moved, and was looking at her curiously. "GO!" she ordered.

Shizune jumped and uttered, "H-Hai!" as she rushed out yet again, the doors slamming loudly behind her.

oooooo

Naruto slumped against the heavily scratched tree, breathing hard. His face and body were covered in smudges, scrapes, and stains, and his hair was badly mussed. Sweat dripped from the tip of his nose. His small equipment pouch lay uselessly halfway across the clearing, but that hardly mattered - he'd exhausted his supply of kunai at least five hours ago.

Kensu stood several feet away, arms folded, looking as fresh as the daisy that had bloomed yesterday. "The sun has risen, Naruto," he announced. "Your training is over."

Naruto gazed up at the man groggily. _Training... so that's what they're calling the herd that just ran over me. _"What happens now?" he breathed.

Kensu shook his head at the pathetic state of his 'student'. "Now you leave, never to return. That was the deal."

Naruto's only reply was a weary nod as he climbed to his feet, bracing himself against the tree. His legs felt like jelly, but he didn't think they would collapse if he put his full weight on them. Walking, however, was out of the question for at least a few minutes.

In a word, Kensu's training had been relentless. Naruto's memory flashed with the exertions of the previous night. Attempting to perform concealment jutsu while under attack from multiple directions. Weaving through elaborate traps in the forest. Battling a fully armed and survival-hardened missing nin with nothing but his wits and his bare hands. Focusing his chakra to pick out his opponent's location as he dodged a hail of kunai and shuriken. The list went on and on.

In some ways Naruto had to give the old man credit - his teaching methods were definitely designed to make lessons stick. Fighting off the threat of death during a lecture tended to leave a lasting impression. Over the course of the last twelve hours, he'd learned the basics of several new techniques, and managed to hone his senses to a fine edge. In addition, he'd picked up a number of tricks from the school of dirty fighting. At first he'd been hesitant to use such cheap moves, until Kensu pointed out none too gently that he was both a shinobi and a criminal. If he wanted to fight with honor, the man said, he should have been a samurai.

As Naruto leaned against the tree regaining his strength, Kensu walked back to the stump at the center of the clearing and pulled a small scroll and a pen from his satchel. He began writing as he sat himself down, ignoring the boy for the time being. For a long moment the sound of the pen scratching parchment was the only noise in the clearing.

After several minutes, Naruto felt that his legs had recovered sufficiently that he could move under his own power once again, and he began the task of collecting the kunai and shuriken that littered the area. Kensu did not look up as he moved, still focused on his writing. Naruto suspected he was drafting the list of hiding places he'd demanded, and said nothing. It wouldn't do to piss off the man who was willing to do him such a big favor. Not before he finished it, at least.

Eventually he located the last of his spent weapons, just as Kensu rose from his seat and rolled up the scroll he had been writing. As he turned to refill his pack, the old man beckoned him over.

"I have some things here for you, kid," he said. With that, he held forth the scroll, along with two others he'd brought out from his satchel. "Take these, study them when you have time. _Do not _let them fall into anyone else's hands. They are for you alone." Kensu then reached into a pouch and brought forth a small slip of plain white paper. "I'm going to do you one other favor, but first, tell me what you know of the five elements."

Naruto, having accepted the scrolls and being in the process of putting them away, took a moment to answer. "Uh... well, I think I remember what they are... let's see, fire, lightning, water, earth, and uh..." His nose scrunched in concentration. "Oh, right! Wind!"

Kensu stared at the boy for a long moment. "Kid, are you telling me you never learned anything about manipulating the elements?" he asked in a deceptively mild voice. "That you can barely recall what they even are?"

Naruto blushed faintly, having the grace to look sheepish. "Uh... kind of?"

For one fleeting second an expression of murderous rage crossed Kensu's face, before he returned to his usual composure. He sighed softly. "Not going to ask... Anyway, this here," he indicated the slip, "is a special type of paper that reacts with a person's chakra in one of several ways. The reaction indicates which type of element your body favors. Here," he handed the slip to Naruto. "Channel your chakra through that for a few seconds."

Naruto fingered the slip quietly, then focused and did as Kensu directed. A long moment passed uneventfully. Naruto was about to return the paper when a small 'rip' was heard. Looking again, he found a neat tear that had formed in one corner. "Ack!" he sputtered. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to rip it up!" He hastily passed the paper back to Kensu and backed away quickly.

Kensu looked at the slip for a second and threw his head back, laughing. "Ah, kid. I keep forgetting how clueless you are. That was one of the things your chakra could have done to it. In fact, it's probably the most normal reaction you can get." Holding the paper up for Naruto's inspection, he pointed at the rip. "This says you're a wind user. Your chakra naturally arrays itself as a series of thin blades, like the wind. It's this pattern that causes the tearing you just witnessed. Had you been one of the other types, you would have seen something quite different."

Naruto approached and looked closely at the paper with wonder. "What other things can it do?"

Kensu leaned back, pocketing the slip. "It depends. If you're a fire type, the paper will burst into flames. If you're water, it gets soggy. Earth makes it crumble into dust, and lightning makes it wrinkle up like unfolded origami. I've also seen some unique effects, but those are usually reserved for bloodlines. Anyway, no matter what you do to it, the results are unmistakable. So, you're wind."

Naruto blinked, a thoughtful look coming to his face. "Wind, eh? So what can I do with that? Can I learn how to fly, or create big storms?"

Kensu chuckled again. "Flying... I doubt it. That would take tremendous effort and control. Storms, though... maybe. I don't know much about it myself. Wind users are fairly uncommon, unless you come from the desert country, so I can't help you."

Naruto looked crestfallen at the pronouncement, and Kensu spoke again. "Relax! I wasn't going to do anything about this anyway. Just knowing your type is a big advantage, kid. Most nin don't start training their specialties until they're chuunin at a minimum. The body has to learn to develop a certain amount of control before that potential can be tapped. The point of this exercise was to make you aware, so you don't go out wasting your time trying to learn techniques that are impossible for you. See?"

Naruto rocked back on his heels. "Yeah, I see. But, I've watched some people perform jutsu from more than one element lots of times. How can that be?"

Kensu shook his head slowly. "You misunderstood me. I was referring to advanced, wide area attacks and other techniques of that sort. Anyone can perform the lesser elemental jutsu - they don't require your chakra to be in any particular configuration to pull them off. It's when you're going for sustained or highly specific and powerful effects that you'll need to draw on your affinity. Also, with enough knowledge and practice, you can eventually create your own techniques from your elemental type. Don't try it, though! In order to learn how to use your chakra effectively, it's best to find a master of your element to guide you. In your case... well, you might get lucky. Just don't worry about it for now."

Naruto nodded, disappointed but understanding the man's reasoning. "Alright... well, thanks for all this," he gestured at his pack with the scrolls inside. "Although, I kind of wish you hadn't been so rough. I might have been able to learn more."

Kensu scowled, but not in a threatening manner. "Kid, life is rough. And you're about to go into the world alone. Better you learn to rely on what you have now, and know what you can and can't handle, than to plunge into it headfirst and get yourself stuck. Now," he folded his arms, "I'll take my leave, and wish you luck. But remember what I said. If you show your face in these parts again, and I find out, I will kill you. You're a fugitive now. Your identity is both your most valuable possession and your most dangerous liability. Don't be careless with it." He held out his hand.

Naruto hesitated only for a moment before reaching up to grasp Kensu's hand. As they stood there, a stray thought crossed his mind. "You know, I don't think you ever told me what village you abandoned."

Kensu smirked. "That's right, I didn't. Now get going, kid. You've got a long road ahead." With that, he dropped their handshake and stepped back. He disappeared in the next moment as he shunshined out of the clearing.

Naruto looked around briefly trying to locate the old man, then gave it up and bent down to secure the straps in his pack. Then his stomach growled. "Augh!"

oooooo

The doors to the Hokage's office opened, admitting Baki and his team to enter the chamber. They filed in one at a time and came to attention before the Hokage's desk as Shizune closed the doors and took her place in the corner behind Tsunade's chair. Kakashi stood against the wall with his nose in one of those dreadful Icha Icha books yet again. Shikamaru was slouching next to him, looking bored as usual. Gazing across the assembled nin, Tsunade decided it was time to get down to business.

"I've called you all here to discuss the news that was brought to us yester-" She broke off as Kakashi giggled at something in his book. Scowling in his direction, Tsunade cleared her throat pointedly. When the copy nin failed to respond, she coughed loudly, and still nothing happened. A vein appeared on her temple, causing Team Baki to back away apprehensively. Shizune sighed wearily. Shikamaru straightened and crossed to the other side of the room, leaving the field of fire.

Kakashi, still focused on his book, didn't stand a chance. The paperweight nailed him directly above his ear, causing him to drop the orange-covered abomination as he slid bonelessly to the floor. "PAY ATTENTION WHEN YOUR HOKAGE IS SPEAKING!" Tsunade bellowed at the fallen nin from across the desk, causing everyone else in the room to jump slightly.

Sitting back in her chair, she took a deep calming breath and started over. "As I was saying, I've called you here to discuss the events that were reported yesterday. Before we begin, however, I must ask you two," she gestured to Shikamaru, who nodded, and Kakashi, who was rising shakily back to his feet, "not to mention this to anyone. For the time being, this information is classified as S-class secret."

Everyone present straightened imperceptibly at the announcement. Tsunade continued, "Yesterday, Team Baki reported to this office that Uzumaki Naruto had escaped this village and travelled to Suna, where he met Gaara briefly before wandering into the desert. The assumption," she looked pointedly at Gaara, "is that he died there."

Shikamaru and Kakashi's eyes widened. Shizune, who also had missed the report, gasped in horror. Baki's expression was strained, but controlled. Gaara, as always, betrayed no emotion.

"Obviously," Tsunade went on, "we must verify these claims. But I must tell you," she nodded to Team Baki, "that this is not simply a case of determining a missing nin's status. If what you have told us is true, there exists a great possibility that our villages are now threatened by one of the Bijuu." Baki's eye widened, while Temari and Kankuro rocked back, stunned. Gaara still showed no reaction.

Tsunade had been watching this time. _So, he already knew about the Kyuubi. Interesting._ Pushing forward, she continued. "Naruto was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune." This time, Baki let loose a strangled gasp, to which Tsunade nodded. "Indeed. I know Suna has its own experience with at least one of the tailed beasts. However, in light of recent... events, your village is unprepared to deal with another encounter of this nature. The Kyuubi is far more insidious and powerful than Shukaku. For this reason, I'm sending the six of you to Wind Country to search for signs that will confirm Naruto's status and determine whether or not the Kyuubi has escaped its container."

She looked at Baki and his genin team with sympathy. "I know that you do not take orders from our village, but I'm sure you can agree that this is absolutely vital. The shinobi of Konoha do not possess the training or the experience to weather the great desert. We're counting on you."

Baki swallowed heavily and stepped forward. "In the interest of averting this crisis, Suna is fully prepared to assist its friend and ally. We will gladly guide and assist your team in this search."

Tsunade nodded, relaxing slightly. "Thank you, Baki. Now," she looked between Kakashi and Shikamaru. "I've specifically requested you two for a reason. Kakashi, as Naruto's team leader and sensei I imagine you are the most familiar with his patterns and behavior. You'll be in charge of planning. Hopefully you'll be able to anticipate your student's steps."

Kakashi nodded once, appearing steady except for a telltale trembling of his hands. "Hai."

Tsunade nodded and turned her attention to her other charge. "Shikamaru. As a friend of Naruto's and a Nara, we will be counting on your analysis to determine the accuracy of Suna's claims. No disrespect to you, Baki," she faced the Suna nin apologetically, "but I'm sure you can see the necessity of this course. If everything you've reported to us is true, we must still recover Naruto's remains. And if it turns out he has somehow survived, he will need to be brought back to Konoha."

Baki nodded. "We understand, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded once more. "Very well. The mission departs for Wind Country in one hour. For the sake of expediency, I am reassigning all other missions for which you've been scheduled. This is now Konoha's number one priority. Am I understood?" Everyone nodded, each steeling themselves for what was to come. "Dismissed!"

Team Baki filed out, with Shikamaru following. Kakashi moved toward the bay windows behind the Hokage's desk when Tsunade stopped him. "Stay a moment, Kakashi." Turning, she caught the eye of her apprentice. "Shizune, if you don't mind."

Shizune nodded. "Hai, Tsunade-sama." With that, she also headed to the doors and let herself out.

Tsunade turned back to the copy nin. "Kakashi, I need to know if anything happened between you and Naruto before his disappearance."

Kakashi stiffened slightly, but turned to face the Hokage squarely. "The last time I saw him was four days ago. We spoke about his fight with Sasuke, among... other things."

Tsunade nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "Tell me everything you know."

* * *

_Woo! Another chapter finished, and finally the story is beginning to move! I don't really have anything to add for this one, so send any questions through PM. Reviews welcome!_

_Edit: In one of my latest readings of this chapter I spotted a few things that could be fixed, and at least one glaring mistake. Everything should be good now.  
_


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